2025 Poster Session

Ongoing developments in bio-based materials can potentially provide innovative alternatives as the field of conservation seeks sustainable options. In 2023 the journal Nature published research by chemists at Purdue University who, inspired by biomimicry, developed biomass derived adhesives, notably a material they called soy-mal-tan after its subcomponents of epoxidized soybean oil, malic acid, and tannic acid. They reported high strengths comparable to epoxies and an estimated net negative carbon footprint. However those authors also presented some factors which could limit its applicability within conservation such as relatively high temperatures for curing (180° C) and an inherent dark amber color. Others have noted concern that the tannic acid component may be prone to oxidation and that specific applications would require testing.

In spite of the potential limitations this adhesive sounds promising for novel applications within metals conservation where such high temperature can often be acceptable to the substrates, the color may be inconsequential, and the tannic acid component already has found use (e.g. the treatment of iron surfaces). This poster will present the results from experimental reproduction of the adhesive, investigation of reversibility and aging characteristics, and the empirical testing of several applications to the conservation of metals.